The Keep 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Keep 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 27, 2025

Michael Mann pulled himself out of a career in television, transitioning to features in the early 1980s. His first release was 1981’s “Thief,” helping to define his major cinematic style, but the effort did minor business. Undaunted by the career setback, Mann goes incredibly ambitious in his follow-up, 1983’s “The Keep,” which trades the intimacy of crime for a period horror offering loaded with characters and motivations, also slipping into a special effects show. There’s an extensive production history behind the endeavor, as Paramount eventually took the film out of Mann’s hands, whittling the effort down from its original 210-minute-long intent to just 96 minutes, effectively destroying whatever vision was initially in place. The storytelling damage is obvious, and manages to hurt the viewing experience. However, while a mess, “The Keep” remains intensely atmospheric, always prepared to supply striking imagery and synth support from a score by Tangerine Dream.

It's 1941, and Captain Klaus (Jurgen Prochnow) is leading his fellow Nazis through Romania, on a mission to take command of a keep to help Germany become the “masters of the world.” What he discovers is an unusual place containing nickel crosses and construction meant to hold something inside, not to prevent entry. Treasure-hunting subordinates break the seal of the keep, unleashing the entity Molasar, who seeks escape from his prison, facing a special talisman preventing such release. Nazi commander Eric (Gabriel Byrne) arrives to clean up Klaus’s mess, losing men as the mystery of the keep deepens. He turns to Jewish historian Theodore (Ian McKellen) to aid in decoding special language, and the sickly man is joined by his daughter, Eva (Alberta Watson). As Theodore connects to Molasar, helping the demon’s plans, a mysterious Greek warrior, Glaeken (Scott Glenn), travels to Romania to prevent evil from reentering the world.

“The Keep” is an adaptation of a novel by F. Paul Wilson, and one certainly gets the sense that Mann was trying to at least partially respect a literary approach. The material intends to be epic, setting up the keep as a place of mystery and danger involving a large collection of characters who hold different interpretations of its importance. And Mann attempts to back up his ambition with extreme control of the film’s look, generating a slow- paced understanding of increasing threat and exploration, taking his time inspecting the details of the location as it’s invaded by all. Tone is established with help from the score, which provides huge synth movements to add a feel for discovery as the players get closer to the secrets of the keep. And cinematography is excellent, aiming for the unreal, creating a few unforgettable moments of approach as Molasar gradually takes shape.

Technically, “The Keep” is quite inventive. Dramatically, it’s a shambles. Editing woes are obvious after the opening act, as too many characters compete for screen time, with some, like Klaus, disappearing soon after their introduction. One can sense Mann’s hunt for physical and psychological corruption as Molasar grows in power, but a feel for time is eliminated from the theatrical cut, bringing confusion as the story begins to take turns. Perhaps the most baffling is a romantic relationship between Eva and Glaeken that develops quite quickly, positioned to become the heart of “The Keep,” which is an intensely cold picture without it. The connection is immediate but doesn’t make much sense, added to a movie that’s loaded with puzzling decisions and abrupt dramatic arcs that increase in intensity as the feature stumbles toward a climax.

The Keep 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray.

"The Keep" arrives on UHD, listed as "presented in Dolby Vision HDR and newly restored from its 35mm original camera negative." This is an incredibly dark feature, set inside a stone fortress that's barely lit at times, but blacks remain quite deep, protecting shadowy encounters and distances. Detail is excellent, exploring the textures of the location and heavier period costuming. Skin particulars are defined as much as the hazier cinematography allows. Exteriors are dimensional, capturing the remoteness of the setting and the size of the keep. Interiors deliver appealing depth. Colors are worked out in full, and while a cooler palette is utilized for Nazi events and keep tours, more dynamic hues register as intended, offering boiling reds for evil encounters and bright silver on crosses. Laser-y looks are also preserved, along with intense magic hour skies. Skin tones are natural. Highlights are tasteful. Grain is fine and film-like throughout the viewing experience. Source is in good condition, with a touch of judder during the main titles and some brief wear and tear.

The Keep 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix opens with an information card: "While extensive audio restoration was performed, certain mix-related issues are inherent to the source and cannot be improved." Listeners might notice issues during the picture, as volume dips are periodic, but intelligibility isn't threatened, keeping a decent hold on performance choices and accents. Scoring is commanding, offering a distinct electronic sound and fullness during the movie's most dramatic sequences. Sound effects are appreciable.

The Keep 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Matthew Aspery Gear.

• "Out of the Darkness"(6:58, HD) is an interview with producer Gene Kirkwood, who originally set out to become an actor before finding his way to a different corner of the industry. Handed the novel of "The Keep," Kirkwood was ready to develop it alongside Michael Mann, only to have Paramount speed up the process without a finished script. The director's contributions are celebrated, and the interviewee shares the response to the picture, as Paramount leadership lost interest in the endeavor as soon as they saw it.

• "Something is Murdering My Men" (24:01, HD) is an interview with author F. Paul Wilson, who was looking to create something "very paranoid" with "The Keep." He shares his personal history, experiencing higher education in the 1960s, reacting to the culture of the time. Wilson's literary journey is tracked, working up the courage to try out genre stories, and Wilson offers extended analysis and notes of development on "The Keep." The interviewee also explores the sale of the novel and its cinematic formation, finding Wilson extremely cautious when discussing the film adaptation of his book.

• "What He Left Unfinished" (5:55, HD) is an audio interview with VFX producer Peter Kuran, who was fresh off of "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back" when deciding to branch off on his own, taking on "The Keep." The interviewee shares some scattered information about the visual achievements in the feature, and briefly details an unused climatic sequence.

• "An Evil Most Ancient" (24:35, HD) is an interview with makeup effects designer Nick Maley, who developed his appreciation for the arts in the theater, pushing to join the film industry, receiving opportunities to prove himself. A career was formed, including work on "Star Wars" and "Krull," which landed him a job on "The Keep." The interviewee identifies Michael Mann's "dark vision" for the feature, tracking the evolution of special effects, working to develop difficult screen concepts when creating Molasar.

• "Other Sounds for Other Worlds" (11:13, HD) is an interview with co-composer Johannes Schmoelling, who offers a brief history of electronic music in Germany, beginning its rise in the 1970s. The formation of Tangerine Dream is recalled, as Schmoelling joined the band in 1979, describing his role in the group. The interviewee details his time with Michael Mann and his work on "The Keep," which required some changes as the picture was reworked in the editing process. Schmoelling also shows off original sheet music from the assignment.

• "I, Molasar" (25:20, HD) is an interview with actor Michael Carter, who shares his thespian journey, taking a chance on an early drama school education before developing his career. After proving his patience with prosthetics on "Return of the Jedi" (he played Bib Fortuna) Carter was hired for "The Keep," sharing his experience with Michael Mann, who was a demanding director unafraid of using multiple takes to get what he wanted. The formation of Molasar is tracked, playing different development stages of the character, and a few colors. Tension on the set of "The Keep" is identified as the shoot dragged on, and the interviewee offers a few tales from production, creating a brief bond with co-star Scott Glenn.

• Image Gallery (1:06) collects film stills.

• T.V. Spot (:36, SD) offers a commercial for "The Keep."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:17, SD) is included.

The Keep 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mann isn't faultless in "The Keep," finding most of his casting choices perplexing (Robert Prosky as a Romanian priest? Scott Glenn as a Greek warrior?), and acting is rarely where it should be, diminishing points of pressure involved in Molasar's violent awakening. The feature quickly falls apart, as whatever editing force driving the theatrical cut isn't kind to transitions and connections. Still, there's quite a visual feast to devour in "The Keep," which contains plenty of striking sequences and powerful big screen displays of horror and exploration, keeping up with Mann's taste for cinematic experiences. Who knows what he had in the movie's initial form (there's no guarantee the original cut was going to work either), but Mann manages to make something of an impression in the shattered remnants of this offering.